The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral pleural plaques is due to his in-service exposure to asbestos. The Board has determined that the criteria for service connection are met, and therefore grants service connection for bilateral pleural plaques.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s pleural plaques were at least as likely as not (50% or greater probability) incurred in or caused by his in-service exposure to asbestos.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pleural plaques
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193499
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19193499.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lung condition, to include COPD, asbestosis, and bilateral pleural plaques due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service and his current lung condition.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a higher disability rating was dismissed because the January 2024 rating decision implemented a previous Board decision and is not appealable. The Veteran will receive a separate decision regarding their September 2024 VA Form 10182.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pleural plaques disability and obtaining any outstanding records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's asbestosis and his service. The VA respiratory examination is required to reconcile these opinions.
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